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He was born December 19, 1954 to Charles and Gladyese Gilligan in Fremont, Nebraska. He attended St. Patrick's Elementary School and Bergan High School in Fremont, and graduated in 1974 from Fremont High School.
Jim started out working on trucks at his uncle's shop when he was a teenager, and carried that trade with him throughout the rest of his life. He worked at Valmont right out of high school, but took on a job as truck mechanic for Bert Nysingh Trucking, followed by Hunt Transportation, and Fremont Truck Wash. He also worked for the maintenance department at Midland Lutheran College and took great pride in keeping the grounds neat and in their prime, and took on the job of hanging thousands of lights on their trees for "Lighting of the Green" every Christmas time. He then returned to mechanic work at Waste Connections, earning the Safe Driver Award for 2000 and 2001, and was most recently employed in the shop at Waste Management in Bennington.
Jim married Diane Marie Bay on "Sweetest Day," October 18, 1975, at First Lutheran Church. With his family, he lived in the same general area of Fremont his entire married life, never moving more than a few blocks from one house to another. Jim enjoyed camping from the time he and Diane were teenagers, carrying on that tradition with their children and, later, trips to Minnesota to camp with their little granddaughter. He loved hunting in his younger days, and loved racing, often joining his brothers on weekends as a pitcrew member, usually volunteering to be the chief-cook-and-bottle-washer. Jim was a skilled scavenger, filling his backyard with unique yard ornaments, including a full-sized windmill. A handyman around the house, he always had a project or three underway. And he loved working in his yard, making it a place of beauty and serenity, a gift which will live on for his family. But most of all, Jim loved being "Dad" and "Grampa."
Jim will be missed by his wife, Diane; two sons: Ryan James Gilligan of Omaha; and Timothy Bay Gilligan of Minneapolis, MN; a daughter, Lindsay Marie Gilligan of Fremont; and the apple of his eye, 4-year-old granddaughter, Ava Rose of MN; his parents, Charles and Gladyese Gilligan; mother-in-law, Vivian Clapham; brothers: Greg(and wife, Vickie) Gilligan, and Tom (and wife, Robyn) Gilligan; and sister Theresa (and husband, Dan) Hahn, all of Fremont; brothers-in-law: Jim (and wife, Peg) Bay of Omaha and Tom (and wife, Amy) Clapham of Gladstone, MO; sisters-in-law: Georgia Johnson of Omaha, Coralie (and husband, Richard) Shonka of Schuyler, and Mary Jo (and husband, Rick) Spalding of Fremont; 18 nieces and nephews, 1 great-niece, and 2 great-nephews, aunts and uncles, and many good friends.
He was preceded in death by is older brother, Ronald James Gilligan.
The funeral service will be 2 PM Friday (June 29th) at the First Lutheran Church (3200 E. Military, Fremont) with the Rev. Charlie Axness. The committal will be in the Hooper Cemetery in Hooper, Nebraska. Memorials may be directed to the family for later designation. Visitation at the Ludvigsen Mortuary, Fremont, will be today (Thursday - June 29, 2012) from 3 to 8 PM, with the family present from 6 to 8 PM. [b]Because of Jim's love of the color 'Blue' the family is requesting everyone to 'Wear Blue for Jim'.[/b]
online guestbook @ www.Ludvigsenmortuary.com
Jim started out working on trucks at his uncle's shop when he was a teenager, and carried that trade with him throughout the rest of his life. He worked at Valmont right out of high school, but took on a job as truck mechanic for Bert Nysingh Trucking, followed by Hunt Transportation, and Fremont Truck Wash. He also worked for the maintenance department at Midland Lutheran College and took great pride in keeping the grounds neat and in their prime, and took on the job of hanging thousands of lights on their trees for "Lighting of the Green" every Christmas time. He then returned to mechanic work at Waste Connections, earning the Safe Driver Award for 2000 and 2001, and was most recently employed in the shop at Waste Management in Bennington.
Jim married Diane Marie Bay on "Sweetest Day," October 18, 1975, at First Lutheran Church. With his family, he lived in the same general area of Fremont his entire married life, never moving more than a few blocks from one house to another. Jim enjoyed camping from the time he and Diane were teenagers, carrying on that tradition with their children and, later, trips to Minnesota to camp with their little granddaughter. He loved hunting in his younger days, and loved racing, often joining his brothers on weekends as a pitcrew member, usually volunteering to be the chief-cook-and-bottle-washer. Jim was a skilled scavenger, filling his backyard with unique yard ornaments, including a full-sized windmill. A handyman around the house, he always had a project or three underway. And he loved working in his yard, making it a place of beauty and serenity, a gift which will live on for his family. But most of all, Jim loved being "Dad" and "Grampa."
Jim will be missed by his wife, Diane; two sons: Ryan James Gilligan of Omaha; and Timothy Bay Gilligan of Minneapolis, MN; a daughter, Lindsay Marie Gilligan of Fremont; and the apple of his eye, 4-year-old granddaughter, Ava Rose of MN; his parents, Charles and Gladyese Gilligan; mother-in-law, Vivian Clapham; brothers: Greg(and wife, Vickie) Gilligan, and Tom (and wife, Robyn) Gilligan; and sister Theresa (and husband, Dan) Hahn, all of Fremont; brothers-in-law: Jim (and wife, Peg) Bay of Omaha and Tom (and wife, Amy) Clapham of Gladstone, MO; sisters-in-law: Georgia Johnson of Omaha, Coralie (and husband, Richard) Shonka of Schuyler, and Mary Jo (and husband, Rick) Spalding of Fremont; 18 nieces and nephews, 1 great-niece, and 2 great-nephews, aunts and uncles, and many good friends.
He was preceded in death by is older brother, Ronald James Gilligan.
The funeral service will be 2 PM Friday (June 29th) at the First Lutheran Church (3200 E. Military, Fremont) with the Rev. Charlie Axness. The committal will be in the Hooper Cemetery in Hooper, Nebraska. Memorials may be directed to the family for later designation. Visitation at the Ludvigsen Mortuary, Fremont, will be today (Thursday - June 29, 2012) from 3 to 8 PM, with the family present from 6 to 8 PM. [b]Because of Jim's love of the color 'Blue' the family is requesting everyone to 'Wear Blue for Jim'.[/b]
online guestbook @ www.Ludvigsenmortuary.com